I Am A Child Born Of Incest…

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I grew up with my grandmother. I didn’t know my mother until she showed up one day after my grandfather’s death; I was 9 at the time. After that, she would come like once or twice a year; I never really missed her because I never bonded with her. But, there was something quite mysterious about her and her visit, she would come at night and often leave very early in the mornings and she avoided seeing people whenever she was around. It was as if she was hiding from someone.

I knew she was living with a man in Lagos and she has a child with him, she never told me, but I hear when she talked about him with Mama.

Mama never talked about my father, my mother never talked about my father too. I remembered asking Mama a few times, and she would just say, you don’t have a father.

I didn’t understand it, I asked if he was dead, or abroad, I wanted answers but no one was ready to give me any. So I formulated one, I told my friends at school that my father was in Scandinavia. I had seen that name in a magazine and it sounded so gorgeous.

We lived in a family house, with many extended family members around, and the elderly ones would often look at me with pity in their eyes, and I could see there were many unspoken words behind their looks.

Some of the people in the compound have called me ‘omo ale’ meaning bastard to my face before. The other children gave me a nickname behind my back, it was ‘fatherless’.

Mama was everything to me, she gave me everything I needed and loved me unconditionally. But even as a child, I knew she was a sad old woman. She only had my mother and my uncle, who I never met until my grandmother died.

She died when I was 12.

I woke up to go to school, and saw that she was still sleeping. It was really strange because I had never got up before her. I called her, I touched her, I shook her, but she was gone.

She was in the mortuary for a long time because the family was waiting for my mother and her brother to come for family meeting so they could plan her burial. There were times my mother came but her brother did not show up, but the family insisted the two must be present.

Eventually he came, the whole compound rushed out the day he arrived. Some talked in hushed tones, chastising him for neglecting his old mother for so long.

He only greeted me casually, he didn’t ask how old I was, or which class I was in school. He didn’t pay me any attention.

I was worried about what will happen to me after the burial. Where will I go, who will take care of me? I have lost the only person who cared for me but there was no one to console me.

After the burial, my uncle was getting ready to leave when Mama’s sister grabbed him by his arm and was crying out loud, saying he will not go until they settle my case.

She dragged him into a room and locked the door behind them shouting that her sister’s spirit will not rest in peace if he leaves without settling my case.

My mother and I were outside crying, I was confused. I was so sad.

After a while, some elders forced their way in and they later asked us to enter, and that is how the whole story was told.

My grandfather impregnated my mother when she was in her twenties. My grandmother insisted that they must cover it up, and she told people that my mother got pregnant for a man who didn’t want the child. After she gave birth, she dropped me for my grandmother and grandfather and never looked back until my grandfather died. I heard she was sending money for my upkeep.

An aladura told my uncle I was a child of doom, and if they allow me to live, I will bring destruction to the family. He could not persuade them to get rid of me, so he kept his distance from them all so that he will not partake of the evil I came to do in the world.

I thrived in spite of them all.

Do you or do you know somebody that wants to share a real life personal story in our IT HAPPENED TO ME column? Please send the story via email to info@woman.ng (Identity will not be revealed if you wish!)

26 Comments

My darling, whether a child of doom or incest is in ur mind. U have been born nd nothing changes dat, live ur life full of great nd positive expectations. Christ has made u free from all negativities nd he loves just d way u are. I love u too.

Is this real or written by a good writer? If yes…hummm. i dont know what to say to alleviate what you might be going through…..children born out of incest are actually innocent ones paying for the sins of those adults, they are often mal-formed and sometimes they aren perfectly formed coz of gene..but you must be lucky coz you are wonderfully made by God. Very heartbreaking. God please help this person.

You are not the one bringing doom to the family, your grandfather has already did by impregnating his own daughter. Its a pity that you are the product of such incest.just face your life and make something meaningful out of it. Wishing you goodluck.

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away behold everything has become new…dear writer, if u are yet to accept Jesus Pls do so u can enjoy the new life in Christ not minding how u came into this world. He can rewrite your story and make u a great person in life…. I wish u all the best…

He should move on . It’s not going to be easy but that’s just the next logical step. The uncle should get his act together as well as the boy’s mother ,and ensure that the child gets a good education. I think dragging this thing further on would be a very big mistake , because the grandfather’s evil deed will just succeed in marring everyone’s future. There is a need for deliverance service for all the members of the family. After that please let them believe that God has sorted e everything out and let them steep themselves in christ and His word

Hold on to God, first and foremost. Accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour if u’re a christian. Struggle, focus and make something out of ur life. The curse following the covered incest will not touch u, if u are of Christ.
Finally, live happily, positively and make an indelible mark in ur existence. There are many out there with worse birth stories and they made it in life.
Nick, the man without limbs was not a product of incest or immoral act. He has soared above his physical challenges and so will you. Be strong.

Cousin, am being objective, inbreeding is an old news even Adams married keturah his child with eve, till date china and Indian marry within their families a lot, and I can go on and on, whiile I might I hv put it better, what I meant is dat, she shouldn’t let it run the course of her life, she is here already and she should live a full normal life and not let her circumstances dictate her life.

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